Jun 18, 2021; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Joey Lucchesi (47) throws to the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

The key to the Mets’ victory was a strong pitching performance by Joey Lucchesi, who made his first big league start since May 13. After loading the bases in the first inning, he managed to escape the inning scoreless and pitched effectively over the rest of his outing.

After a strenuous first inning, Lucchesi retired 12 in a row, generating lots of easy ground balls over that stretch. His streak of retired batters was broken on the first hit in Masyn Winn‘s MLB career.

Lucchesi exited the game with runners on second and third with two outs in the sixth inning. Phil Bickford relieved him and walked Jordan Walker to load the bases before striking out Alec Burleson to keep the Cardinals off the board. That ensured Lucchesi would end his night with a scoreless performance, which dropped his season ERA almost a full run from 4.43 to 3.54.

Offensively, the Mets put themselves ahead right away before putting the game away late. Brandon Nimmo led off the game by taking the lefty Zack Thompson deep, socking his career-high 18th home run of the year to give the Mets and Lucchesi an early lead to play with. Jeff McNeil added to the lead in the third inning by knocking an RBI single up the middle, scoring Lindor from second base to extend the lead to 2-0.

Joey Lucchesi drops the churve on Jordan Walker and gets out of bases-loaded trouble pic.twitter.com/XrPT4brwQL

— SNY (@SNYtv) August 19, 2023

Both offenses remained quiet until the seventh inning when the Mets blew the game open. Still up by just two, the Mets loaded the bases with nobody out. A fielder’s choice off the bat of Francisco Lindor, with a questionable throw home by the young shortstop Winn, brought home a run before Francisco Álvarez hit an opposite-field RBI single to make it a 4-0 game.

Jeff McNeil then unloaded a three-run shot over the right field fence, his sixth home run of the year, to extend the lead to 7-0. That home run was McNeil’s third over his last 14 games after he had just three home runs all season before that. He has been swinging the bat much better of late, having entered this game batting .288 in the month of August.

Sam Coonrod and Dennis Santana combined to pitch the final three innings after Bickford managed to escape the sixth inning without allowing a run. Coonrod set down the Cardinals in order in the seventh inning before Santana gave up the shutout with two outs in the ninth inning on a Richie Palacios double. Still, Santana stayed on to record the final out and give the Mets a 7-1 win.

The Mets have now won five out of their six last games, improving their record to 57-66. They have now clinched at least a series tie with the Cardinals with two games still to play before heading to Atlanta to take on the Braves for the final time this season.

Player of the Game

Brandon Nimmo gets player of the game honors in this game. Not only did he set a new career-high for home runs in a season with 18, but he also finished the game 3-for-5 while extending his hitting streak to ten games as he continues to look scorching hot at the plate.

On Deck

The Mets will look to secure a series win against the Cardinals on Saturday evening, with the first pitch scheduled for 7:15 p.m. ET. Kodai Senga (9-6, 3.30 ERA) will look to continue his stellar rookie campaign as he takes the mound for the Mets, while Miles Mikolas (6-8, 4.27 ERA) gets the start for the Cardinals. The game will be broadcast on PIX11.

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Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Mets will be in attendance as Zack Britton throws a simulated game in California on Thursday, according to John Harper of SNY.

Britton, who is currently a free agent, will be in action at UC-Irvine with around eight teams expected to be there watching, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. And, according to Mike Puma of The New York Post, Britton will also throw a showcase for teams in Miami Gardens on Thursday. The Mets are expected to be in attendance for that too.

This shouldn’t come as a surprising development given that the Mets are currently awaiting news on Edwin Díaz. The star reliever injured his right knee while celebrating Puerto Rico’s win at the World Baseball Classic on Wednesday night. He went down and had to be helped off the field. The Mets confirmed that Díaz will undergo imaging on Thursday.

If the Mets’ worst fears are confirmed and Díaz is ruled out for a substantial amount of time, then there will be a pressing need to add another impact arm to the bullpen.

That could well be Britton, who the Mets have held interest in all offseason. They have attended previous showcases staged by the reliever and, according to Puma, Mets officials were already having a debate about whether to sign Britton even before Díaz went down hurt. It appears now that momentum is building towards the Mets making an offer to Britton. Puma also notes that other available players like Corey Knebel and Will Harris could be in the mix too.

Britton signing for the Mets has always made sense given that he was a favorite of Buck Showalter‘s during their time together with the Baltimore Orioles. Showalter knows the makeup of Britton better than anyone, and he’s also the best available option left on the open market.

Plus, even after trading for Brooks Raley from the Tampa Bay Rays earlier this offseason, the Mets still lack southpaw depth and signing Britton would go a long way to addressing that weakness on the roster.

The only big question mark over Britton is his health. He has only thrown 38 innings over the last three seasons. He underwent surgery in 2021 to remove bone chips from his elbow and missed months of action as a result. He then required Tommy John Surgery shortly after making his return, missing most of the 2022 season as a direct result.

When Britton did eventually return to the mound, he struggled and allowed six walks and a hit over three games, recording only two outs in the process. The veteran then ended the year on the injured list with arm fatigue. With that in mind, there is a considerable amount of concern over whether or not Britton will be durable going forward.

However, the track record is impressive and if Britton can get back to the filthy stuff he showed before the injuries started to pile up, then he could become a real weapon out of the bullpen for the Mets. From 2014 to 2020, he recorded an impressive 1.82 ERA over 367.1 innings. He was almost un-hittable and his deadly sinker and slider combo helped to establish his reputation as one of the best relievers in all of baseball.

You can read our Free Agent Profile of Britton here. 

If Britton can prove he is healthy and capable of throwing filthy stuff on Thursday, then it does seem likely that the Mets will finally make their move for a lefty reliever they have long admired. And the urgency for such a move could be accelerated if the front office receive bad news on Díaz today.

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Zack Britton. Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

As was reported on February 15, the New York Mets were one of the teams that watched veteran relief pitcher Zack Britton‘s showcase. That was not the first time there was a reported Mets and Britton connection either. Back in January, the Mets were also reported as being interested. Add in the well-known fact that Buck Showalter and Britton have history together in Baltimore, all these reports make sense. With all that being said, the question must be asked: is this a necessary move for New York to make?

Of course, it would be a risky one. Britton’s injury history is well documented. He has only pitched 38 innings since 2019. More specifically, only 19 innings between 2021 and 2022 and he allowed a woeful 18 hits and 13 earned runs over that time.

Among all these struggles, Britton underwent Tommy John surgery on September 9, 2021, as well as got bone chips removed from his pitching elbow. When he finally did come back, he was shut down for arm fatigue. Bottom-line, he is a huge question mark.

Though, what is so intriguing about Britton is that he was one of the premier relief pitchers in the major leagues before his injury issues started in 2020. From 2014 through 2020, Britton logged five sub-2.00 ERA seasons. The almost exclusively sinker-ball pitcher was elite for almost six-straight seasons. Most recently, being just two and three years ago in 2019 (1.91 ERA in 61 1/3 innings) and 2020 (1.89 ERA in 19 innings), respectively. This before he was derailed by the aforementioned elbow issues.

How Would He Fit?

The Mets’ bullpen is getting closer and closer to becoming a finalized unit. Though, given normally teams carry anywhere from seven-to-eight relief pitchers on their roster, a spot or two may still be up for grabs. For context, here is how the unit currently stands:

• Closer: Edwin Díaz
• Set-Up: David Robertson
• 7th-8th Inning: Adam Ottavino
• Middle Relief: Drew Smith
• Left-Handed Option: Brooks Raley
• Long-Relief/Spot-Starter: David Peterson / Joey Lucchesi / Elieser Hernández

As mentioned above, this leaves one or two more spots to be filled. Of course, the Mets have other internal options such as Jeff Brigham, Sam Coonrod, John Curtiss, Zach Greene, Bryce Montes de Oca, Stephen Nogosek, and Stephen Ridings. Though, the common theme among all these possibilities are they are all right handed. So, a move for Britton can theoretically still make sense.

Britton would give the Mets a second, true left-handed relief option. Of course, both Peterson and Lucchesi are left-handed, but have almost been exclusively used as starters throughout their careers.

Zack Britton. Photo credits: USA Today

Why The Move Would Be Unnecessary 

Again, the reported interest from the Mets regarding Britton makes sense. Though, as outlined above, a move would bring a ton of risk. Per Fangraph’s crowd-sourced projections, the 35-year-old Britton is projected to sign a $5-million deal over one season. Despite money not exactly being an issue for the Mets, would it be wise to invest around $5 million in a guy at the twilight of his career and who is trying to re-establish himself after injury?

Also, despite potentially having a spot or two still to be decided, there are about seven different names who can potentially fill those roles. You would hope that through spring training at least one or two of those potential options can emerge and round out a pretty strong group.

Further, despite currently only having one true left-handed option, it appears, given the current state of the rotation, either Peterson or Lucchesi should be able to fill that second left-handed relief role. So, do the Mets really need to take that risk on Britton given all their internal options?

At the end of the day, if the Mets brought in Britton it would not be an awful move. There is upside there, especially if Britton can find anywhere near the form he was pre-surgery. Though, with what the Mets currently have, and the potential opportunity cost of using a struggling Britton when there are several other likely serviceable options in house, a deal just seems unnecessary.

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Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The Mets went to veteran left-hander Zack Britton on Wednesday according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Though the Mets traded for fellow lefty Brooks Raley earlier this offseason, the southpaw depth is thin beyond that.

Britton, 35, has thrown only 38 innings over the last three seasons.  In 2021, Britton missed months after surgery that removed a bone chip from his elbow. Once he returned, he struggled, pitching to a 5.89 ERA (5.46 FIP) over 18.1 innings, but it turns out he needed Tommy John surgery. That caused him to miss most of 2022, returning at the end of the regular season. However, he did not perform well, struggling to throw a strike. He allowed six walks and a hit over three games, during which he only recorded two outs. He ended the year on the injured list with arm fatigue and didn’t pitch in the playoffs.

The upside is there, as he was one of the best relievers in all of baseball in the seven seasons prior to his injury. Part of those were spent in Baltimore with Buck Showalter as his manager. (Britton even says he doesn’t hold a grudge against Showalter for his non-use of Britton in the 2016 playoffs.)

From 2014 to 2020, the lefty had a minuscule 1.82 ERA (2.93 FIP) over 367.1 innings. It was previously reported by Jon Heyman that the Mets were of the teams interested in seeing if Britton has anything left in the tank.

Read our free agent profile of Britton here.

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Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Mets reportedly have interest in relief pitcher Zack Britton, according to the New York Post‘s Jon Heyman.

Though the Mets could not come to terms with Carlos Correa after three weeks of negotiating, the Mets are still looking to round out the 2023 roster. Britton, 35, would be a high-risk, high-reward signing if the Mets gave him any sizable money.

That’s because Britton has had an injury-filled last two seasons–both with the Yankees. In 2021, Britton missed months after surgery that removed a bone chip from his elbow. Once he returned, he struggled, pitching to a 5.89 ERA (5.46 FIP) over 18.1 innings, but it turns out he needed Tommy John surgery. That caused him to miss most of 2022, returning at the end of the regular season. However, he did not perform well, struggling to throw a strike. He allowed six walks and a hit over three games, during which he only recorded two outs. He ended the year on the injured list with arm fatigue and didn’t pitch in the playoffs.

That risk could be mitigated with an incentive-laden deal. The upside is there, as he was one of the best relievers in all of baseball in the seven seasons prior to his injury. Part of those were spent in Baltimore with Buck Showalter as his manager. (Britton even says he doesn’t hold a grudge against Showalter for his non-use of Britton in the 2016 playoffs.)

From 2014 to 2020, the lefty had a minuscule 1.82 ERA (2.93 FIP) over 367.1 innings. There haven’t been any reported teams linked to Britton over the offseason, though Heyman said the Mets are “among teams” that have interest.

Read our free agent profile of Britton here.

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Zack Britton

Age: 34
B/T: L/L

2022 Traditional Stats: 3 G, 0-0, 0.2 IP, 13.50 ERA, 10.500 WHIP, 1 SO, 6 BB
2022 Advanced Stats: 46 ERA+, 27.11 FIP, 13.5 SO/9, 11.1 SO%, 66.7% BB, -0.1 WAR

Rundown

Zack Britton was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the third round of the 2006 MLB June Amateur Draft. He made his Major League debut in 2011 and recorded a 4.61 ERA with 97 strikeouts in just over 154 innings. It took the lefty a few years to find his feet in the big leagues but, when he did, the results were hugely impressive.

From 2014 to 2020, Britton carved out a reputation for being one of the best relievers in all of baseball and he was untouchable at times. He posted a stellar 1.65 ERA in 2014 with 37 saves in 76 1/3 innings with 62 strikeouts. He then followed that up with a 1.92 ERA to go along with 36 saves and 79 strikeouts in 2015, earning his first-trip to the All-Star Game.

Britton’s best season to date came in 2016. He was pretty much invincible as he recorded a career-high 47 saves with an impressive 0.54 ERA. Britton also struck out 74 batters and walked just 18 on his way to becoming an All-Star for the second-straight year. He also finished fourth in American League Cy Young Award voting and 11th in AL MVP voting. The lefty was crowned both the 2016 AL Rivera Reliever of the Year, and the 2016 AL TSN Pitcher of the Year.

Following another solid year in 2017, Britton was traded to the New York Yankees in July 2018 for pitching prospects Dillon Tate, Josh Rogers and Cody Carroll. As he did in Baltimore, Britton dominated in The Big Apple as he finished the 2018 season with a 2.88 ERA in 25 games in the pinstripes, before posting a 1.91 ERA the following season. And Britton continued to produce the goods in 2020, recording eight saves and finishing the COVID-19 shortened season with a mighty-fine 1.89 ERA.

During his time with both the Orioles and the Yankees, Britton displayed time and time again that he had filthy stuff and could come up clutch in high-leverage situations. He absolutely dominated over a number of years and was a lethal weapon out of the bullpen. Relying on a deadly sinker and slider combo, Britton earned his reputation as one of the best and most reliable relievers in baseball in recent years.

However, things began to fall off a cliff for Britton after the 2020 season. He posted a bloated 5.89 ERA in 2021 before undergoing Tommy John surgery. Britton did return in 2022 but struggled in three games with a 13.50 ERA before eventually being shut down for the year because of left arm fatigue. He has pitched just 38 innings since the 2020 season and hasn’t really had his best stuff since 2020.

Contract 

There is no doubt that Britton’s value is at an all-time low. After all, he has hardly pitched since 2020 and, when he has, the results were far from pretty. As a result, the veteran faces a prove-it year in 2023 and he will probably have to take a contract that reflects that harsh reality.

It is believed that Britton is seeking a one-year deal in 2023 and the average annual salary is going to be low. While the last couple of years have been concerning, the lefty reliever’s overall resume is impressive and it could well prove to be a low-risk, high-reward type of deal for any team in need of bolstering their bullpen.

Recommendation 

Despite signing star closer Edwin Díaz to a five-year, $102 million contract, and then signing veteran reliever David Robertson to a one-year, $10 million deal, the Mets still need plenty of reliever help. There’s plenty of question marks over this bullpen as it is currently constituted and, as we’ve seen time and time again, you can’t win without a very good to elite bullpen.

Britton could tick a lot of boxes for the Mets. For starters, he’s a lefty arm and that is something this team has needed for quite some time. Britton would finally tick that box and would bring some much-needed balance to the bullpen.

Secondly, the 34-year-old was one of the best relievers in all of baseball not that long ago and he still had filthy stuff in 2020. He’s proven on the biggest stage having excelled in New York with the Yankees and Britton would bring an absolute wealth of experience to this Mets bullpen. He’s also allegedly considered a highly-respected leader in the clubhouse and he would be the perfect fit for the type of culture this organization is trying to build under manager Buck Showalter.

Of course, the injuries are a concern as is the fact that Britton has hardly pitched since 2020 and he’s struggled since undergoing Tommy John surgery. However, the body of work is there and the talent is clearly still there. If Britton can stay healthy in 2023, then he could be a real nice upgrade for this bullpen and provide the elite lefty arm that the Mets have long craved. This team is ready to win now and adding a tried and tested and vastly experienced reliever would only bolster their chances of enjoying success next year. Plus, Britton will come cheap this off-season and he could represent incredible value if he’s able to stay healthy in 2023 and get back to the formidable pitcher he was only a few years ago.

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